Posts Tagged ‘meetings’

Hello Wiggio-heads! Intern Charles here, giving you tips on how to make the most of the end of the year.

When I was a freshman, I had the crazy idea of jumping right in as President of an organization. After three years of knowing the ins and outs of leading a student group, I can easily relate to the somewhat stressful end of the year wrap-up process. With final projects, exams, and summer plans brewing in the background, it’s easy to get frazzled over this.

To tackle the end of the year effectively, first consider the following possible scenarios :

1) Electing New Leaders? A change of leadership is a delicate situation, because your group not only needs to hold elections, but it also will be adopting a new group chemistry. Set up a smooth election process that will set a standard for next year.

2) Change of Group Work Style? – Maybe some processes throughout the year didn’t go off as smoothly as you had hoped. Think about:

Retention rate of active members – do you constantly see familiar faces?

Budget – did you run out of funds too quickly?

Responsibilities - did you feel too stressed as a leader or pick up other’s work?

If so, you may need to make some big changes next year.

3) Expenditure Reports – Does your Student Government Organization require you to pull together a report at the end of the year of yearly budgets and expenditures? This is a big pain when you’re already stressed to study and write papers. Don’t leave this to the last minute, it will be a guaranteed headache.

4) Going Out with a Fizzle or a Bang? – The last meeting of the year is crucial. If it goes well, your members are more likely to come back the next year. If it doesn’t, the experience becomes underwhelming and disappointing. Whether you plan to have a small intimate gathering, or an event that invites the whole campus to celebrate your achievements, put in the effort to plan a successful final meeting.

So, here’s your homework, Wiggio-heads: Talk to your E-Board and discuss those four points. Write them down where everyone can visit it – maybe even start a shareable document on Wiggio online.

Stay tuned for part 2! I’ll let you know what small steps you can take to make a greater impact to your organization.